Mechanical razor



.July 2,' 1946. 1 SQNNE Y 2,403,407 MECHANICAL RAZOR- Filed Jan. l, 1944 (fif'Q 7fc`9.b i INVENTOR.

JOHN'SONNE ATTORNEYS Patented July 2, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MECHANICAL RAZOR John Sonne, Cleveland, Ohio Application January 1, 1944, Serial No. 516,618

11 Claims.

The present improvements relate to hair clippers or mechanical razors of the type characterized by having two cylindrical shells, one within the other, wherein such inner shell is oscillatorily movable instead of reciprocable in order to coact with cooperative cutting edges in said shells respectively. One construction of so-called safety razor comprising such an arrangement of shells is disclosed in my Patent No. 21,052,495, dated August 25, 1936, such razor having the outer shell provided with a longitudinal slot the edges of which constitute cutting edges, and the inner shell provided with groups of cutting edges adapted to cooperate with edges in the oute-r shell, the cutting edges in such groups being formed in relatively spaced slots in the inner shell.

I have now discovered not only that improved cutting action ycan be obtained by providing the groups of cutting edges in the outer shell and the longitudinal slot with cutting edges in the inner shell, but that such rearrangement very greatly facilitates the use of the device as a razor, i. e. for closely clipping the hair from a. persons face. Furthermore, I have found a very considerable improvement is effected, where the groups of cutting edges are thus provided in the o-uter shell, by interconnecting such groups, i. e. by forming the cutting edges in question between longitudinally spaced recesses in the respective sides of a longitudinal slot in the shell.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the rmeans hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the following description set-forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of a device embodying my present improvements;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof as viewed from the left in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a central section, the plane of such section being indicated by the line 3 3 Fig. 1;

Fig. 3a is a duplicate of one end of such sectional view showing the parts in a diierent operative position;

Fig. 3b is a broken sectional view of one end of the device, the plane of the sectionbeing indicated by the line IJ-b, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of one of the components of the outer shell by itself;

Fig. 5 is an end View of the latter;

Fig. 6 is similarly a plan view of the inner shell by itself;

Fig, 7 is an end View of such inner shell; and

Fig. 8 is a broken elevational View of a modied form of the inner shell.

.A forward end of the device is a recessy 5 of cylindrical form wherein the cooperating shells that constitute the cutting members of the device are mounted, as will be presently described. At the opposite end of bore :l the sleeve 3 is threaded to engage a nut G xed in the casing, so that by rotating the sleeve through the medium of a knob 'i on its corresponding end said sleeve may be advanced or retracted longitudinally of the bore.

The means whereby spindle 2 is driven form no part of the present invention. Thus, while the rear end is shown as being connected through a coupling 8 with a flexible shaft 9, a direct motor drive may be substituted if desired. In such case the casing would be shaped to include the necessary small electric niotor, as need not be explained further.

The outer shell members which form the duplicate cutting elements are seated in the cylindrical recess 5 at the front end of the casing I, and comprise two approximately cylindrical portions i0, the detailed construction of which is best illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. The opposed edges of such shell-portions when seated in the recess are designed to extend into the outwardly facing opening of such recess so as to leave a longitudinal slot between such edges. The latter are furthermore formed with longitudinally spaced recesses Il whereby two opposed series of correspondingly spaced cutting edges E2 are formed. As best shown in Fig. 2, such cutting edges on the o-ne side of the slot are staggered in relation to those on the other.

The component portions It of the cylindrical outer shell are held in place in the casing by the inner shell I4, the detailed construction of which is best shown in Figs. 6 and 7. However, before further describing such inner shell it will be noted that the portions of the outer shell I0 are formed midway 7`between the ends with rearwardly extending radial projections l5. These projections, which are of arcuate form in cross-section, are received in an annular chamber i6 in the casing adjacent the forward end of sleeve 3, such end being rounded to engage the inner faces of the projections and act as a wedge member to force the same apart when the sleeve 3 is advanced or to permit such projections to be drawn together by the action of a spring i8 which encircles the same when said sleeve is retracted.

The ends of the projections wherewith the spring I8 engages are transversely grooved to provide a seat for said spring, and this seat it will be observed lies back of the rounded end oi sleeve 3. Accordingly the action of the spring will be to rock the shell members lil about such end as a fulcrum and thus insure their close iitting contact with the walls of the recess 5. It will further be seen that by adjusting said sleeve in one direction or the other the component members lll of the outer shell will be rotatably shifted in the recess 5 to vary the width of the slot between, the cutting edges i2 as the latter lie exposed in the open side of the recess 5 in the casing. Such cutting edges are preferably formed by grinding away the outer surface oi the members I6 along the slot and the adjacent end suriaces of the casing are contoured so as to form a substantially continuous convex curve with the edges.

Referring now to the construction ci the inner shell id, this is in effect a one-piece cylindrical member formed with a longitudinal slot 2i) which in the assembled device is disposed in alignment with the slot in the outer shell bounded by the spaced cutting edges i2. The edges oi such slot 2B are shaped in such a manner as to form cutting edges that are adapted upon oscillation, to cooperate with the respective series oi' cutting edges l2 provided in the outer shell.

A suitable section or sections 2l, such as shown at its respective ends of such inner shell l are cut free of the latter except adjacent the slot 2t therein and are sprung slightly outwardly as shown in Fig. 7. These sections accordingly constitute arcuate spring members which when forced together, incidentally to placing the inner shell within the outer shell, spring into oomple mentary recesses 24 in the members IiiV of the outer shell (see Fig. 3b), and tend to press such forward slotted face of the inner shell into close contact with the slotted face of the outer shell to compensate for eventual wear and prevent excess reciprocal motion. Accordingly the cutting edges of such slots will at all times be held in close cooperative relation.

For effecting oscillation of lthe inner shell, a longitudinally elongated recess 22 of general oval shape is formed in its rear wall, i. e. opposite the slot 29, such recess being disposed to receive an eccentric pin 23 on the adjacent end of spindle 2. Rotation of the latter will accordingly impart oscillatory movement about the inner shell within the outer shell, the amplitude of such oscillation beingl adjusted to bring tlhe respective cutting edges of slot 2i) into cooperative relation first with the one series and then the other of spaced cutting edges of the outer shell members I0.

The manner of using my improved mechanical razor should be obvious. The rounded front end of the casing I is brought into contact with the skin of the user and moved in a transverse direc-- tion thereacross. Incidentally, the hair or beard will enter the outer cylindrical shell and will be the wall` severed as it is engaged between the spaced C1117- ting edges thereof and the continuous cutting edges of the inner oscillatory shell. The cutting edges in the inner shell need not necessarily be formed by longitudinally opposed edges but may be formed independently as by providing a series of apertures 25 in the modified construction of shell 26 illustrated in Fig. 8. In such construction a plurality of series of such apertures 25 will be provided in the shell.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a cylindrical shell having plural series of longitudinally spaced cutting edges which face each other and are adapted to be brought in contact with the skin of a person to permit hair to enter said shell; of a second shell oscillatorily mounted within said irst shell and having a longitudinal slot, the respective sides of such slot constituting uninterrupted cutting edges adapted to cooperate with such spaced cutting edges in said first shell.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a cylindrical shell having plural series of longitudinally spaced cutting edges which face each other and are adapted to be brought in contact with the skin oi a person to permit hair to enter said shell, such edges in one series being in staggered relation to the edges in the other series; of a second shell oscillatorily mounted within said first shell and having a longitudinal slot, the respective sides of such slot constituting uninterrupted cutting edges adapted to cooperate with such spaced cutting edges in said first shell.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a cylindrical shell having a longitudinal slot formed with longitudinally spaced recesses in its respective sides, thereby providing two opposed series of correspondingly spaced cutting edges which face such slot and are adapted to be brought in contact with the skin of a person to permit hair to enter said shell; of a second shell oscillatorily mounted within said rst shell and having a longitudinal slot, the respective sides of such slot constituting uninterrupted cutting edges adapted to cooperate with such spaced cutting edges in said first shell.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a cylindrical shell having a longitudinal slot formed with longitudinally spacedrecesses in its respective sides, thereby providing two opposed series of correspondingly spaced cutting edges which face such slot and are adapted to be brought in contact with the skin of a person to permit hair to enter said shell, such edges in one series being in staggered relation to the edges in the other series; of a second shell oscillatorily mounted within said first shell and having a longitudinal slot, the respective sides of such slot constituting uninterrupted cutting edges adapted to cooperate with such spaced cutting edges in said rst shell.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a cylindrical shell having a longitudinal slot formed with longitudinally spaced recesses in its respective sides, thereby providing two opposed series of correspondingly spaced cutting edges which face such slot and are adapted to be brought in contact with the skin of a person to permit hair to enter said shell; means adapted to adjust the distance lbetween such opposed series of edges; and a second shell oscillatorily mounted within said iirst shell and having a longitudinal slot, the respective sides of such slot constituting uninterrupted cutting edges adapted to cooperate with such spaced cutting edges in said rst shell.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casing formed with an open recess having opposed curved side walls; a shell formed of two approximately semi-cylindrical portions seated in said recess, the outwardly facing, opposed edges of said portions constituting cutting edges adapted to be brought in contact with the skin of a person to permit hair to enter said shell; means in said casing adapted to adjust the relative position of said shell-portions whereby the distance between such edges may be varied; and a second shell oscillatorily mounted within said rst shell and having a longitudinal slot, the respective sides of such slot constituting cutting edges adapted to cooperate with such outting edges in said first shell.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casing formed with an open recess having opposed curved side walls; a shell formed of two approximately semi-cylindrical portions seated in said recess, the outwardly facing opposed edges of said portions constituting cutting edges adapted to be brought in contact with the skin of a person to permit hair to enter said shell; radial projections on said shellportions at points removed from such edges; a spring engaging said projections `to draw the same towards each other, whereby such edges are separated; a wedge-member adjustably positioned between said projections, whereby said projections and thus such edges may be moved in opposition to said spring; and a second shell oscillatorily mounted within said iirst shell and having a longitudinal slot, the respective sides of such slot constituting cutting edges adapted to cooperate with such cutting edges in said first shell.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination with a cylindrical shell having plural series of longitudinally spaced cutting edges which face each other and are adapted to be brought in contact with the skin of a person to permit hair to enter said shell; of a second shell oscillatorily mounted within said iirst shell and having a longitudinal slot, the respective sides of such slot constituting uninterrupted cutting edges adapted to cooperate with such spaced cutting edges in said rst shell, and means resiliently pressing the slotted portion of said second shell against the portion of said first shell thus provided with cutting edges.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination with a cylindrical shell having plural series of longitudinally spaced cutting edges adapted to be brought in contact with the skin of a person to permit hair to enter said shell; of a second shell oscillatorily mounted within said rst shell and having a longitudinal slot, the respective sides of such slot constituting cutting edges adapted to cooperate with suc-h cutting edges in said first shell, and means resiliently pressing the slotted portion of said second shell against the portion of said iirst shell thus provided with cutting edges, said means comprising an outwardly directed arcuate spring member on said second shell adapted to bear against the adjacent inner surface of said iirst shell and said member having endwise interlocking engagement with such surface.

10. In a device of the character described, the combination with a cylindrical shell having plural series of vlongitudinally spaced cutting edges adapted to be brought in contact with the skin of a person to permit hair to enter said shell; of a second shell oscillatorily mounted within said rst shell and having a longitudinal slot, the respective sides of such slot constituting cutting edges adapted to cooperate with such cutting edges in said rst shell, and means resiliently pressing the slotted portion of said second shell against the portion of said iirst shell thus provided vvith lcutting edges, said means comprising outwardly directed arcuate spring members on the respective ends of said second shell adapted to bear against the adjacent inner surface of said rst shell.

l1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a cylindrical shell having plural series of longitudinally spaced cutting edges adapted to be brought in contact with the skin of a person to permit hair to enter said shell; of a second shell oscillatorily mounted within said rst shell and having a longitudinal slot, the respective sides of such slot constituting cutting edges adapted to cooperate with such cutting edges in said iirst shell, and means resiliently pressing the slotted portion of said second shell against the portion of said first shell thus provided with cutting edges, said means comprising outwardly directed arcuate spring members on the respective ends of said second shell adapted to bear against the adjacent inner surface of said first shell and such surface having recesses wherewith said members engage to lock said shells against relative end-wise movement.

JOHN SONNE. 

